Healthy for the Holiday

Yesterday morning as I drove to work, there was snow in the air. Am I the only person who is SO ready to bid winter adios?! I love the cold, crisp days of winter and a clean, beautiful winter landscape, but come on!!! Easter is just a few short days away and I am ready for some sunshine and some warm Springtime temperatures!!

Speaking of Easter --- can you believe it's this coming weekend?! It seems like we just got over the Christmas break and here we are at the next special holiday.

Last year I went totally crazy on the sweets for Easter, but this year I am going to try really hard to stick to my clean eats plans as much as possible. It so easy to go crazy over the holidays - especially a holiday that promotes chocolate eggs and sugary jelly beans as the food of choice. That's not to say that I'm not going to indulge in a creme egg or the peanut butter/chocolate/oreo dessert I've heard is being made for my family dinner, but I am definitely going to focus on my long-term goals and try to stay on track as much as possible.

Here are a few of the tricks and tips that I'll be using in my effort to stay on track this Easter Long Weekend:

*Drink my 8 glasses of water each and everyday - I tend to sip on coffee and wine on long weekends and holidays. I probably will still enjoy both, but my water intake won't suffer as a result.

*WORKOUT!!!! - It's so easy to relax the workout schedule over the holidays. If your gym has reduced hours or you're going to be out of town, throw your sneakers on and go for a walk/jog, or better yet, encourage the whole family to get out and take a stroll around the neighbourhood.

*Remember what the holiday really is about - holidays do not = food!!! Family, friends and celebration  are what the holidays are all about for me. Just because it's a holiday does not automatically give me the green light to gorge myself on every piece of food that passes my way.

*Moderation is KEY - Do you love Cadbury creme eggs as much as I do? Well then eat one...but don't buy out your local convenience store and eat five. The same goes for your favourite Easter dessert. Have one serving and savour every delicious bite. Don't go back for seconds and don't eat it for breakfast tomorrow...er, not that I've ever done that before ;-) Enjoy the taste of decadence and move on.

*Get back to your normal routine asap - Come Monday morning, I will be back to my healthy, clean eats. The indulgence won't be lingering around because the longer that I'm off my routine, the harder it is to get back to it.

*Contribute healthy dishes to your holiday meal - Instead of my usual Skor Bar Trifle (which admittedly is amazing), I've offered to contribute one of my favourite salads and clean desserts to our Easter meal this weekend. I know that my brother's girlfriend is making something decadent (remember that peanut butter/chocolate/oreo concocotion I mentioned above?), so we won't be missing out, and now we'll have a couple of healthier options as well.

Source via Pinterest via Elisa Walsh

Here's a few clean dishes that I think would be perfect for your holiday table:

Sticky Buns

Tiffany's Clean Eating Dr. Wilbur Salad

Martha Stewart's Easter Salad

Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Rachael Ray's Gingered Carrot & Kale Ribbons

Angela's Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf

Tosca Reno's Ooey Gooey Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding - what I'm bringing!!!!
Angela's Coconut Macaroon Thumbprint Cookies

What's your favourite Easter dish? Link up to share with my readers!

Do you have any tricks or tips to staying on track after the holiday long weekend?

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo

Food for Thought:

Source: Pinterest via Julie Ann Petersen

Easter Sweet Treats ~ Link Love

How are you doing on this lovely Good Friday afternoon?! I am feeling just awesome! Today is the first day of a four-day long weekend for me and I'm really looking forward to 4 fabulous days! This morning we woke up to some gorgeous sunshine --- the temperature is a tad on the cool side, but there isn't a cloud in the sky. I hear that`s what we can expect all weekend long ---- sah-weet!!!! 

All week, I've continued to battle my chest cold, but I made the decision earlier this week that regardless of how I was feeling, I was going to get myself out for a run today. I got up, got dressed and got myself out the door bright and early before I could talk myself out of it. I did an interval run where I did run/walk intervals for 28 minutes. I was planning to do a 50 minute run, but my lungs just couldn't handle it. My legs felt great, but I was definitely winded quickly. Even though it was tough and I'm definitely not feeling 100%, it felt really great to get out there and get active after 10 days of sitting around waiting to feel better.

Later this afternoon, Derek and I are heading over to spend the day and evening at our friends' place. It's going to be a relaxing night filled with good friends, lots of good food and probably a couple of lip-licking bevies.

We were told that we didn't have to bring anything, but I could never show up empty-handed! I`m a food blogger for goodness sakes and I have like a trillion recipes I want to try! Get togethers are a great excuse to make some of the sinful treats that I love so much, but can`t be trusted with when left on my own. I like to make and then give away :) 

I knew what I was going to make right away because I`ve drooling over them for ages. If you haven`t planned out your sweet treats and desserts for Easter, then I hope to inspire you with 3 fabulous recipes that are absolutely to die for.

Easter Creme Egg Fudge

This tastes EXACTLY like a Cadbury Creme Egg!

It`s really sticky and messy, but it is soooo perfect for Easter!

Next time I think I`ll try making it into eggs because you almost have to eat it with a spoon.

(Not that that`s a bad thing wink wink)

Chocolate Pudding Cookies with Easter M&Ms

The softest, awesomest cookies ever.

It`s hard to find a chewy cookie that`s as good as a pudding cookie!

These are super cute and would be fun to make with your kids.

Skor Bar Trifle

Ok, so this is one of mine, but I made it last year and

it`s been requested again this year and it`s too freakin`awesome not to mention.

If you`re feeding a crowd, this is the crowd-pleaser that you want to end your dinner with!

Trust me, I would never lead you astray ;)

So now I better be off! Derek wants me to whip up a spicy barbecue marinade for some shrimp (eek! I`ve never eaten shrimp in my life so I`m not really sure what concoction we`ll end up with!) and then we`ve gotta move our booties to get ready to go.

Do you make any sweet treats for Easter. If you`ve posted any of your fave recipes link up so I can check it out!

Is this a long weekend for you. How many days off are you lucky enough to get. Only some people in Canada get Easter Monday off and I am fortunate to be one of the lucky few :)

I hope you`re having a fabulous day and I wish you a warm and wonderful weekend spent with all those who are near and dear to you!

Andrea

xoxo